Redistricting reforms would lead to better governing

Do you know who wins when a
political party can gerrymander “safe” districts where the elected official
only has to please voters of his or her own party?

The political party wins.

Everybody else loses.

Pennsylvania is one of many
states across the country where gerrymandering has created legislative
districts that are at best illogical and unfair, and at worst an unseemly
corruption of our democratic process.

Pennsylvania State Sen.
Lisa Boscola has introduced statewide redistricting reform legislation that
would establish an 11-member, independent citizen’s commission to redraw
Congressional and state legislative district maps. The legislation would
require significant public input, establish map-drawing standards, and create a
fair process for map adoption.

Politicians from both
parties have already proven that they can’t be trusted to oversee the
map-drawing process, and that they can’t be counted on to put the needs of
citizens first. One of the reasons that politicians have almost completely
abandoned the middle ground of the political spectrum in favor of the “far right”
or “far left” is gerrymandering. Why compromise and make deals on legislation
with the opposing party when it’s far easier to appease the narrow base?

Some common-sense
redistricting reforms are necessary to ensure that we have a representative
democracy. Hopefully, state lawmakers can work toward legislation that will
result in a method of redistricting that is fair for everyone.

Canine Partners for Life celebrates its 30th anniversary year

Through the years, this
newspaper and our family of magazines have had a number of opportunities to
write about Canine Partners for Life, the Cochranville-based organization that
is a leader in training assistance dogs. Since 1989, Canine Partners for Life
has placed more than 700 service and companion dogs in 45 states. These canine
companions have provided assistance for people who have a wide variety of
physical or cognitive disabilities, including spinal cord injuries, epilepsy,
muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, cerebral palsy, ALS, stroke,
cardiac conditions, arthritis, spina bifida, Parkinson’s disease, and more.

One of the events that is
scheduled to celebrate Canine Partners for Life’s 30th anniversary takes place
on Saturday, May 4 at the DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, Del. Guests at the
Unleashed & Uncorked: Puppies & Pearls event will enjoy a wine pull and
wine toss, as well as a silent and live auctions that include everything from
elegant jewelry to an autographed Carson Wentz jersey. Information about how to
attend the event can be found on the organization’s website and Facebook page.

Congratulations to Canine
Partners for Life for reaching another milestone and for continuing to help so
many people in a meaningful way.